Zami: A New Spelling of My Name

A new Penguin Vitae hardcover edition of Audre Lorde’s trailblazing biomythography that cemented the poet’s legacy as a leading voice in intersectional feminism and 20th century literature.

In her 1982 genre-fluid memoir, Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, Audre Lorde reflects on how her identity was formed by her relationships with women throughout her life, from her early memories of her mother attempting to shield her from the racism and sexism ingrained in American society to the solidarity she found in lesbian communities in downtown New York in the 1950s and among women whom she worked beside. With candor and trenchant yet simple detail, Lorde paints an intimate portrait of her life, granting readers a window into the formative experiences of one of the greatest writers and feminist thinkers of the 20th century. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name is the second Lorde title to be featured in the Penguin Vitae collection and features a new foreword by award-winning poet Evie Shockley.

Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.